Paul Dunmall

As told to Watson (1989), Paul Dunmall was a working class lad from Welling who
left school at 15 and spent two years repairing instruments at Bill Lewington's
shop in Shaftesbury Avenue, London. He turned professional at 17 and, following
two years touring Europe with a progressive rock band (Marsupilami), joined the
Divine Light Mission, a spiritual movement led by Guru Maharaj Ji and moved from London to an ashram in America. He told
Isham (1997), 'I moved to an ashram full of musicians - a music ashram - but it was still spiritual
practice. That gave me a spiritual understanding through meditation, Coltrane's music, and all the rest of it, led me to that,
and that's been a fundament in my life ever since - that I can actually sit down and meditate and forget my body. I realise
how important meditation is in my life... but I don't do it so much these days.' During the three years he lived in America,
Dunmall played with Alice Coltrane (in a big band with the Divine Light Mission) and toured for twelve months with
Johnny 'Guitar' Watson.

Back in England, he played with Danny Thompson and John Stevens as well as folk musicians
Kevin Dempsey, Martin Jenkins and Polly Bolton and then, in 1979 he became a
founder member of Spirit Level (Tim Richards, piano; Paul Anstey, bass; Tony Orrell,
drums), staying with the group until 1989. During his time with Spirit Level, Dunmall joined the two-tenor front line
group Tenor Tonic with Alan Skidmore (1985), played and broadcast with Dave Alexander and Tony Moore in the
DAM trio (1986) and formed the Paul Dunmall Quartet with Alex Maguire, Tony Moore and Steve Noble (1986).

In 1987 Paul Dunmall joined the London Jazz Composers Orchestra, being a constant
member and appearing on all their recorded output from that date onward. The following year the improvising collective quartet
Mujician was formed by Keith Tippett, Dunmall, Paul Rogers and Tony Levin and has
continued to be a regular performing, touring and recording group, sometimes augmented by other musicians.
Dunmall has also played in a trio with Keith and Julie
Tippetts and in Keith Tippett's big band Tapestry. Two other duos have also sprung out of Mujician: Dunmall with
Tony Levin (two CD releases) and Dunmall in folk-influenced outings with Paul Rogers. Another regular playing
partner throughout this period and up until the present includes Elton Dean.

In 1995, two trios were formed, the first with Oren Marshall, tuba and Steve Noble, percussion, the second with
John Adams, guitar and Mark Sanders, percussion, these sometimes coming together as a quintet. More recently,
Dunmall has played in another reeds/guitar/drums trio with Philip Gibbs and Tony Marsh and there appears to be
regular crossover between all these players. The Paul Dunmall Octet was founded in 1997.

Further information

Watson, Philip (1989), Level crossings, The Wire, no. 64, (June), pp. 16-18. Based around the breaking-up of the
group Spirit Level after 10 years, includes some information about Dunmall's
introduction to the music and his influences.